What is Sales Funnel?
The journey potential customers go through on the way to purchase. Often divided into TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU.
Deep Dive
A visual representation of the customer journey.
TOFU (Top of Funnel): Awareness content like blogs and social posts.
MOFU (Middle of Funnel): Consideration content like webinars and case studies.
BOFU (Bottom of Funnel): Decision content like demos and pricing pages.
Key Takeaways
- Different content is needed for each stage.
- Don't sell hard at the TOFU stage.
- Understanding where a user is helps increase conversions.
- Automation helps move users down the funnel.
Why This Matters Now
The Funnel is the map of human psychology. You don't propose marriage on the first date (Sales), and you don't ask for a sale in a 'What is X' blog post.
Content Strategy is simply mapping assets to these stages. If you only have TOFU (blogs), you get traffic but no sales. If you only have BOFU (Checkout page), you get no traffic.
Common Myths & Misconceptions
The funnel is linear.
Reality:It's messy. Real humans jump around. They might read a BOFU case study, then go back to a TOFU blog, then wait 6 months. We just use the linear model to organize our work.
Marketing owns TOFU, Sales owns BOFU.
Reality:Modern buyers do 70% of the research before talking to sales. Marketing now owns most of the funnel (Dark Social).
Real-World Use Cases
Retargeting: Showing a 'Book Demo' ad (BOFU) only to people who read 3 blog posts (TOFU).
Email Sequences: A 5-day drip campaign that educates (TOFU) before pitching (BOFU).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'Flywheel'?
HubSpot's alternative to the Funnel. It emphasizes that happy customers (Referrals) feed the top of the funnel, creating a cycle.
Which stage is most important?
BOFU makes the money, but TOFU brings the people. You effectively need both.
We Can Help With
Content Marketing
Looking to implement Sales Funnel for your business? Our team of experts is ready to help.
Explore ServicesNeed Expert Advice?
Don't let technical jargon slow you down. Get a clear strategy for your growth.